Sonic Youth get stolen guitars back after 13 years

Two guitars stolen at a Sonic Youth gig in 1999 have been returned, 13 years later.

The band's rented truck full of their equipment was stolen in the middle of the night before a festival appearance in Orange County. The truck was later found in Los Angeles, empty.

Two guitars stolen at a Sonic Youth gig in 1999 have been returned, 13 years later.

The band’s rented truck full of their equipment was stolen in the middle of the night before a festival appearance in Orange County. The truck was later found in Los Angeles, empty.

However, over the years, fans of the band have remained diligent to try and recover the lost gear, which had been heavily modified by the band after guitarist Lee Ranaldo issued a plea at the time. Several have already cropped up, but this month the sixth and seventh guitars both mysteriously appeared, according to Pitchfork.

Ranaldo said: “It’s kind of wild. After all this time, things are still surfacing thanks to the diligence of fans.”

A white Jazzmaster, used by Thurston Moore on songs including “Bull In The Heather” and “Dirty Boots” was picked up by a fan in Belgium on eBay. The other, Ranaldo’s Jazzmaster used on A Thousand Leaves’ “French Tickler” was discovered for sale in a pawn shop and discovered in a thread on guitar forum OffsettGuitars.

Sonic Youth will release a new live album, recorded in August 1985 at Chicago’s Smart Bar. The album was recorded on a four-track tape recorder and will be released on November 14 via the band’s label Goofin’ Records.

In October last year, Moore and his partner Kim Gordon announced they would be separating after 27 years of marriage. The announcement raised doubts over the future of Sonic Youth after Matador revealed that plans for the band remained “uncertain”.